1. A movement to improve American life by expanding democracy and achieving economic and social justice

2. FFarmers WWorkers WWriters PPolitical Leaders BBut most of all, the Urban Middle Class

6.  Writers exposing the ills of society ◦ They did so through popular magazines and novels ◦ Ida Tarbell - History of Standard Oil ◦ Lincoln Steffens - Shame of the Cities ◦ Upton Sinclair - The Jungle

7.  By 1920, ½ of all Americans live in cities  Cities unable to provide services  Housing ◦ Tenement Act of 1901  Landlords to install lighting in public hallways

8. EExpanding the fight to include the rights of women and children 11904 – National Child Labor Comm. WWorkday limited to 10 then 8 hrs. in some states TThe fight for minimum wage (40% of workers lived in poverty) ◦1◦1912- Mass. Passed min. wage law

9.  Lochner v. New York (1905) ◦ Ruled in favor of business. Law limiting workday of bakers to 10 hrs. violated their ability to enter into a contract  Muller v. Oregon (1908) ◦ Ruled in favor of workers claiming that a law limiting women to 10 hrs. protected their health

10.  International Workers of the World  Founded in 1905 and made up of unskilled labor  Known as the “Wobblies”  Connection to violence and socialism

11.  City Govt. ◦ Commission System ◦ Council-manager system  State Govt. ◦ Wisconsin – “lab of democracy” under Robert La Follette  Campaign spending

12.  Election reforms ◦ Direct primary ◦ 17 th Amendment ◦ Secret ballot ◦ Initiative ◦ Referendum ◦ Recall

13.  Women were moving out of the “caring professions” and into the business world  Since many women were denied access to traditional education and certain professions, they turned to reform movements

14. VVery active in the Prohibition movement and Suffrage ◦W◦Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and the Anti-Saloon League ◦1◦1917 – Congress passed the 18 th Amendment (ratified in 1919) ◦1◦1869 – NWSA forms

15.  Promoted the belief that govt. has the responsibility to act for the people’s welfare  Marked the transition from laissez- faire to govt. regulation of the economy  Demonstrated the ability of democracy to deal with problems